The Hoyt Library opened over 136 years ago and the richly detailed Richardsonian Romanesque exterior is remarkably intact. Located in Saginaw, the building has gone through several additions and alterations, which reflect its rich and complex history.
The library was named after Jesse Hoyt, a New York City resident who had business investments in East Saginaw and was instrumental in the development of the city. After his passing in 1882, Hoyt left $100,000 for the construction and establishment of a library. Shortly afterwards, a Board of Trustees was formed, and they were put in charge of establishing the library, constructing the building, and overseeing operation. One of their first acts as a board was engaging noted librarian William Frederick Poole. Poole became librarian of Chicago’s Newberry Library and an outspoken critic of contemporary library design.
The board authorized Poole to engage Chicago architect William Le Barron Jenny to design the library; however, after the trustees rejected Jenny’s proposal, they settled on holding an invitational competition. Five prominent American architects of the period were invited: Henry Hobson Richardson; McKim, Mead & White; Peabody and Stearns; Van Brunt & Howe; and Elijah Myers. The invitation included detailed requirements for each space in the proposed library, siting of the building, and specified that the exterior walls of the library be constructed from Bay Port Stone trimmed with Jacobsville sandstone. The choice of Bay Port Stone was not purely an aesthetic choice; members of the board were involved in opening the Bay Port quarries.
The trustees’ decision to invite Richardson was an interesting choice; normally they followed Poole religiously, as he was not a fan of Richardson’s library designs. Ultimately, the Board of Trustees and Poole selected Van Brunt and Howe’s submission. The floor plan of the building was shaped by Poole’s concepts; however, the design of the building owes a great debt to Richardson, especially the exterior.
Originally, Hoyt Library was a non-circulating reference library and the public entrance was on South Jefferson Avenue. Main public spaces included a delivery room, reading room, and an auditorium on the second floor.
In 1921, Hoyt Library was combined with the Public Libraries of Saginaw, where the building was expanded and remodeled to house both institutions. The designer for the expansion was Edward L. Tilton, New York architect and archaeologist. He was tasked with enlarging and adapting the 1890 structure to house the two somewhat autonomously managed institutions: the Eastside Public Library, which provided the lending library, and the Hoyt Library, which held the reference collection.
Tilton approached the Hoyt project with creativity, and while he was inspired by the original design of the building, he did not hesitate to alter it. A reference room was added on the east side of the building, and stacks were added on the north. By relocating the entrance to the south side of the building, Tilton was able to rework the interior. Taking inspiration from Canterbury Cathedral, the new entrance had a small vestibule that led into a circulation room, which was carved out of the original book vault.
In the 1940s, proposals were made to enlarge the building, which was taxed to capacity. Consultants from the University of Chicago recommended constructing a new building; however, the trustees repeatedly voted against a new facility.
Finally in 1960, an addition designed by Les Tincknell of Frederick W. Wigen and Associates was constructed. On August 2, 1960, The Saginaw News reported: “The contemporary-style addition is architecturally designed to hold to the traditional line of the old library building.” WTA Architects received the 2026 25-year award by AIA Michigan for the 1960 addition, which is given for distinguished projects designed by an AIA member.
Throughout the years, several incremental changes were made. In 1995, the building was transformed through a comprehensive renovation and restoration by Wigen Tincknell Meyer & Associates. Since then, a major exterior restoration of stonework and a new slate roof have been completed.